AZ-400 Agile Project Management 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When using Azure Boards with a Kanban process, what is the purpose of setting 'split columns' (Doing/Done) on the board?
- To track bugs separately from features
- To allow a downstream stage to pull work only when ready, reducing handoff delays (Correct answer)
- To assign tasks to two different team members simultaneously
- To enforce WIP limits on individual developers
Correct answer: To allow a downstream stage to pull work only when ready, reducing handoff delays
Split columns create a 'Done' sub-column where completed items wait until the next stage pulls them, supporting a pull-based flow and reducing push waste.
Question 2: In Azure DevOps, which area allows teams to define the stages a work item passes through, such as 'New → Active → Resolved → Closed'?
- Board column mapping
- Work item type workflow states (Correct answer)
- Sprint configuration
- Process template rules
Correct answer: Work item type workflow states
Work item type workflow states define the lifecycle stages an item moves through, and can be customized in the inherited process model.
Question 3: A team is using Azure DevOps for a large program with multiple Scrum teams. Which feature helps synchronize dependencies across teams?
- Shared sprint boards
- Delivery Plans (Correct answer)
- Area paths
- Team dashboards
Correct answer: Delivery Plans
Delivery Plans in Azure DevOps provide a cross-team timeline view that highlights work and dependencies across multiple teams and sprints.
Question 4: What does 'cycle time' measure in Agile metrics available in Azure Boards?
- Time from backlog creation to sprint assignment
- Time from when work is actively started to when it is completed (Correct answer)
- Total time a sprint runs
- Time between daily standups
Correct answer: Time from when work is actively started to when it is completed
Cycle time measures the elapsed time from when a team member actively begins working on an item to when it reaches the done state.
Question 5: Which Agile ceremony is specifically intended to inspect the process and create a plan for improvements in the next sprint?
- Sprint Review
- Sprint Planning
- Daily Scrum
- Sprint Retrospective (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Sprint Retrospective
The Sprint Retrospective focuses on the team's processes, tools, and interactions, generating action items to improve the next sprint.
Question 6: A team wants to ensure user stories have clear, testable acceptance criteria before sprint planning. Which Agile concept enforces this?
- Definition of Done
- Definition of Ready (Correct answer)
- Sprint Goal
- Release Criteria
Correct answer: Definition of Ready
The Definition of Ready specifies conditions a backlog item must meet (including acceptance criteria) before the team can commit to it in sprint planning.
Question 7: In Azure DevOps, how can a team track planned versus actual capacity for each team member during a sprint?
- Using the Velocity chart
- Using the Sprint Capacity feature under the sprint backlog (Correct answer)
- Using Azure Monitor alerts
- Using the release pipeline dashboard
Correct answer: Using the Sprint Capacity feature under the sprint backlog
The Sprint Capacity feature allows teams to enter each member's daily capacity and days off, then compares it against assigned remaining work.
AZ-400 Agile Project Management 4
When using Azure Boards with a Kanban process, what is the purpose of setting 'split columns' (Doing/Done) on the board?